Firefighting oil bases

The choice of low expansion foam for extinguishing warehouses (tanks) with highly flammable and combustible liquids is provided by the requirements of SP 155.13130.
Pozhneftehim recommends the use of the following foam extinguishing methods for fire protection of tank farms:

• supply of film-forming low expansion foam from above to the surface of the oil product using heat and explosion resistant chambers of low expansion foam in the upper zone of the tanks;
• supply of low expansion foam through sublayer nozzles into the oil product layer in tanks;
• universal method with the supply of foam to the surface and/or into the highly flammable and combustible liquids layer.

Advantages of a low expansion tank firefighting technology:

• The film-forming foam helps to avoid under-extinguishing, repeated fires and explosions after the elimination of combustion.
• Equipping the tank with a sub-layer fire extinguishing system allows to extinguish a fire, even if the fire extinguishing agent supply system to the surface has failed due to an explosion.
• Foam fire extinguishing is necessary to eliminate the re-ignition of flammable and combustible liquids (for example, as a result of self-ignition from the heated walls of the tank).

The composition of the fire extinguishing system with low expansion foam:

• Vega foam chamber for supplying low expansion foam onto the surface of the oil product.
• Equipment complex: high-pressure Shturm foam generator, burstable membrane, NP Interlayer nozzle (for sublayer feeding method).
• Aquafom fluorosynthetic film-forming foam concentrates such as AFFF, AFFF/AR, AFFF/AR LV (the type is selected depending on the type of combustible/flammable liquid in the tank).
• Foam concentrate dosing and storage system (SKhDP or bladder tank), which must take into account the characteristics of the foam concentrate.
• Auxiliary equipment (fire filters, fire stabilizers, etc.).

Low expansion foam fire extinguishing technology has been used in Russia since the 2000s. It is widespread in international practice. The choice of low expansion foam is provided by the requirements of SP 155.13130 and the standard NFPA 11.
Extinguishing due to the isolation of fuel with a thin film released from low expansion foam based on foam concentrates of the AFFF or AFFF/AR type is one of the modern firefighting technologies of category A and B.
According to clause A.1 of SP 155.13130, extinguishing superficial fires is executed by covering the entire protected area (if impossible to use high expansion foam).

Advantages of low expansion fire extinguishing technology:

• Maximum insulating ability, effective extinguishing. Under-extinguished, repeated fires and explosions after the elimination of combustion are excluded.
• The possibility of using fire extinguishing system elements to prevent fires and explosions during oil and oil product spills.
• Possibility of using elements of a fire extinguishing system to ensure safe working conditions during the response to oil spills.

The composition of the fire extinguishing system with low expansion foam:

• Antifire UVPN deluge sprinkler (with an oscillator to increase the irrigation area and more effective firefighting).
• Foam concentrate AFFF, AFFF/AR or AFFF/AR LV for the formation of low expansion foam (Aquafom N or NSV).
• Foam concentrate dosing and storage system (SKhDP or bladder tank), which must take into account the characteristics of the foam concentrate.
• Auxiliary equipment (fire filters, fire stabilizers, etc.).

Foam fire extinguishing technology of medium expansion was developed in the 70s in the USSR. At facilities equipped with fire extinguishing systems in past decades, there are GPS and GPSS (these generators have a number of design flaws, but they continue to be used to this day). At the same time, the modern and more effective foam generators for supply of medium expansion foam are available on the Russian market. The use of medium expansion foam is provided by the requirements of SP 155.13130 and VUP SNE 87.
According to p. A.2 to table. A1 SP 5.13130, when using medium expansion foam for oil with impurities of gas condensate and for oil products derived from gas condensate, as well as motor gasolines containing polar liquids, marine fuel, jet engine fuel, etc., it is necessary to determine the normative intensity in compliance with current methods.

Features of medium expansion firefighting technology:

• Generators such as GPS and GPS are not recommended for use (these devices are not heat-resistant, not explosion-proof, have a low price, but are destroyed during a fire before the start of the extinguishing agent supply).
• It is recommended to choose modern, more functional and reliable medium expansion foam generators, such as Turbopen UGP with an oscillator to increase the spread of supply and reduce costs for the system as a whole.
• A medium expansion foam fire extinguishing system is not recommended for tanks with flammable, combustible liquids and other highly hazardous industrial facilities, as mild foam is not film-forming and does not protect against re-ignition and explosions.

The composition of a modern foam fire extinguishing system:

• Universal Turbopen foam generator (with an oscillator to increase supply area and more effective firefighting).
• Foam concentrate S, S/AR for the formation of foam of medium expansion (Aquafom NSV)
• Foam concentrate dosing and storage system (SKhDP or bladder tank), which must take into account the characteristics of the foam concentrate
• Auxiliary equipment (fire filters, fire stabilizers, etc.)

Volume fire extinguishing technology with high expansion foam generators has been used in Russia since the 2000s. Fire suppression occurs due to the insulation of the flame by filling with foam the volume of the room 1 m above the level of the protected equipment. Type of foam concentrate - S.
Extinguishing with high expansion foam is provided by the requirements of SP 155.13130 and the standard NFPA 11.
High expansion foam can be used for closed buildings and premises handling flammable and combustible liquids. The extinguishing of such buildings and premises with low or medium expansion foam is allowed when covering the entire area to be protected and the impossibility of using high expansion foam, due to the design features of the building.

Advantages and features of firefighting technology with high expansion foam:

• High expansion foam is effective for extinguishing fires; therefore, it is widely used in a large number of facilities including industrial and production warehouses with storage of flammable and combustible liquids.
• Cubical fire extinguishing systems involve low costs and reserves of extinguishing agents.
• High expansion foam is dangerous for personnel, as it is possible to “drown” in it (evacuation is mandatory before foam is supplied).
• Cubical fire extinguishing is not applied if there are large window and technological openings, which can be destroyed in the event of a fire.